Do you feel like you are different? Like you don’t belong? Maybe that something is wrong with you? Do you feel distinctly uneasy moving through this world?
I believe that the term "rebel" can be used to fit a lot of people - whether you are an artist, a musician, a highly sensitive person, a member of the LGBTQ population, a believer in cognitive liberty or a recovering catholic. I use this term to describe anyone who has found themselves on a path that is different from the norm or who has strayed from parental or societal expectations. I have always been attracted to the fringe of society - it is there that you find the most beautiful colors and artistry. But with that path comes the anxiety or stress from being different, of internalizing the societal expectations and beginning to doubt your own worth or place.
When I started my private practice, I had to ask myself who I wanted to work with. And this was the answer I came up with. I want to surround myself with the people brave enough to have taken a different path. A Happy Rebel is someone who has gotten to know themselves, accept themselves and love the parts that make them different. Sometimes that means letting go of old habits and thought patterns that tell us we are wrong or bad or damaged. It can mean dealing with past trauma or old childhood hurts that have been carried around. Hopefully it results in healthier choices and a more adaptive perception of the world. This world would be numbingly boring if we were all the same or we all agreed on everything - and it is the rebels of this world that make society evolve by questioning the status quo.
A Happy Rebel is someone who can embrace and celebrate their differences. It is easy for this type of person to avoid therapy – no one wants to be judged or told how to live their life. I believe that it’s my job to provide you with a safe place to explore yourself and your life, identify what is working and what isn’t, what you should keep and what you should let go, and create a plan so that you can thrive while still nurturing who you truly are.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
-Steve Jobs